Martin Luther
King, J r.
Fresh & Fun: January
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
SOCIAL STUDIES
Peaceful Solutions
Martin Luther King, Jr. believed that problems in the world, such as
prejudice, could be solved without violence. Have chart paper and a
marker ready, and ask children to think of conflicts that may occur in
their lives—for example, an argument over the rules of a game, a
problem on the playground, trouble sharing a toy, and so on. Record
suggestions on chart paper. Let children take turns role-playing the
situations to show how conflicts can be resolved peacefully.
L A N G U A G E A RT S
“I Have a Dream” Collaborative Banner
One of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s most famous speeches is known as the “I
Have a Dream” speech. His dream was that people of all races and cultures
would learn to respect and get along with one another. Talk with children
about dreams: a dream can be a hope, a wish, or a goal you would like to reach.
Make copies of the dream cloud activity sheet on page 11. Ask children to
tell you about Dr. King’s dream. Record their ideas in a dream cloud. Copy
a picture of Dr. King and tape it in the space provided. Now let children fill
out their own dream sheets. Display a sheet of craft paper, trimmed to 12
inches high, and long enough to
accommodate a banner page for each
child plus a few extra. Glue Dr. King’s
dream cloud to the craft paper, then
have children add theirs. Soon you
will have a Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I Have a Dream” banner circling
your classroom for discussion and
inspiration.
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To encourage children
to think more deeply
(and to gently steer
them away from more
“material” dreams, such
as a new bicycle), you
may want to use
question prompts—for
example, What would
you change in our
neighborhood to make
it a better place to
live? What are some
things you’d like to do
for others? Is there
anything you’d like to
learn, or learn to do
better, in the future?
Book Break
Happy Birthday, Martin Luther King
by Jean Marzollo (Scholastic, 1993)
The beautiful illustrations and simple text in this book make it ideal for
teaching young children Martin Luther King’s life story and the Civil Rights
Movement. After reading the book, ask: What would you give Martin Luther
King for his birthday? What would you thank him for?
9
Name
“I Have a Dream”
Collaborative
Banner
Draw a picture
of yourself.
Glue it here.
I can help my dream come true by:
I have a dream. My dream is:
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Activit y Page
Fresh & Fun: January
© Scholastic Teaching Resources
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